Matt Baume from AFER is back with another edition of Marriage News Watch. This week, the Defense of Marriage Act takes another hit in California, while 25 couples in Illinois file lawsuits for the right to wed. Poll numbers look good for an upcoming marriage referendum in Washington State, but its a closer call in Maryland.

Dear AFER, I love you guys, I really do. I’m so tired of waiting for equality. It’s difficult to fathom that we have to wait this long to have the law protect us from the tyranny of the majority. Every day, every week is painful. To watch preachers calling for our deaths or for electrified fences to be constructed is outrageous. I don’t want “bridges” extended to me by sects in the Utah dessert, politicians dangling my rights out in front of me for a vote, or celebrities taking time out to help me be a recognized American with equal rights. I’m taxed for every dollar I make and yet stand unrepresented by my own Country. The promise of the American dream was to be protected from others’ religious beliefs and not have their doctrines enshrined into law for everyone. Is it too much to ask of the Supreme Court of the United States to render law without their religious prejudices? This is taking entirely too long and the way Romney is being hyped, it scares me that a turd like this could change our fate. Our rights should not be swayed by political whim. SCOTUS needs to vote, unanimously, to uphold equality or else, as Nancy Elliott from New Hampshire worded it, there will be wiggle room. If we have the law on our side, why is it taking so long to mobilize?

Jun 4, 2012 at 6:33 pm · @Reply ·

n900mixalot

@1equalityUSA: I appreciate your frustration but you have to realize that it is a slow process. Equal rights don’t just pop up over night, no matter how egregious the harms were that precipitated the need. The courts are a slowwwww moving organization. As a matter of fact, at the Supreme Court they have the old lanterns that rest atop nothing other than … you guessed it–turtles. There are competing views as to exactly what they represent, but speed is definitely not one of them. Perhaps longevity and wisdom, but most likely slow deliberation.

It hurts all of us to feel the weight of discrimination and to smile in the faces of those who deep-down, despise everything that we stand for. But unless you are truly convinced that we are wrong about this, there is no way we can ultimately lose. In the end, wrong is wrong. It is very simple. Hypocrisy is not self-sustaining and always folds in on itself–eventually. So, kick back with the knowledge that you won’t be hanged or executed because of this, but instead that in time the right ddecision will be made.

As long as you enjoy life and continue to help others, you will be fine. Don’t become consumed by, or stuck on yourself and your own wants, because they can be distracting. Focus on what you can do now tthat sets a positive foundation and framework so that when the time comes, the victory will be that much sweeter.

Jun 4, 2012 at 8:02 pm · @Reply ·

1equalityUSA

n900mixalot–Thanks for the kind words. I was overcome with anger at the Mormons sending their youth out to march in the gay parade. I suspect it is damage control and that the Mormons want Mittens to take the Casa Blanca. He signed that dreadful NOM pledge. I haven’t forgiven the Catholics or the Mormons for their role in Prop H8. Any church that rolls itself up into politics is compromised. Any politician who rolls around with the Church is compromised. NOM is a disgusting hate group brought into fruition by Princeton’s Robert P. George, a Catholic who’s using his intellect to force his doctrine onto others, too foolish to understand that politics will influence back and the end product will be unrecognizable. Sorry for the run-on sentence. Your pep talk reminded me of me a few years back. I remember telling an exasperated poster to “enjoy the process.” I’m done enjoying this process and want equality yesterday. I might refer to your words when it gets to be too much out here. Thanks for taking the time to write.

Jun 4, 2012 at 8:39 pm · @Reply ·

Darryl

Maryland was confirmed for referendum nearly a week ago.

Jun 4, 2012 at 9:17 pm · @Reply ·

Joe Schmoe

These stays are killing us. If the courts would not stay these rulings (or not for extended periods of time), we could establish our own “facts on the ground.”

The right to marry will be secured through numbers. If 5% of all marriages are same-sex marriages, most people will know a same-sex couple. Also the entire marriage industry (wedding clothing, catering halls, registration at department stores, etc.) would not want to jeopardize 5% of their customers. Thus, if Prop 8 were put aside immediately, there would be new same-sex marriages in the nation’s most populous state.

Jun 5, 2012 at 6:44 am · @Reply ·

1equalityUSA

Joe Schmoe, I was wrong about the Democrats coming out for gay marriage, “but not until at least 50 percent of the States win equality”, so I may be wrong about this. Politicians prefer that these hot potato social issues be handled by the Judicial Branch of government, so that the political weight is lifted off of their shoulders. I would imagine that it will be through the court system that our rights are finally granted to us, rather than, “secured through numbers.” It is rotten that we have had to wait so long. The Federal Government should return our tax dollars to us retroactively from the first year that we became Domestic Partners. From the cradle to the grave, it costs LGBT more to live in the United States. There may even be a financial component to our having been so burdened by discrimination for this long. The Supreme Court of the United States must see how wrong it is to allow second class citizenship. I hope it is unanimous when the issue finally reaches the bench. David Boise and Ted Olson are heroes and there pictures should grace the walls of every LGBT home. They fight like we are right. Other gay rights groups proved too timid and were pants-shitting about asking for too much too soon. I stopped giving donations to anyone but AFER. AFER fights like we are right. I appreciate your help and mind power.

Jun 5, 2012 at 9:39 am · @Reply ·

1equalityUSA

“Their” picture. Sorry.

Jun 5, 2012 at 9:41 am · @Reply ·

James

@1equalityUSA. This is exactly how I feel. The law should not work the way it currently does. Its absolutely disgusting.